Departmental Homeworking

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice who are both committed to achieving a work life balance for all staff. No staff in the Office have formally worked from home in the last year.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average weight of  (a) an electric and  (b) a diesel train carriage is; and what the average weight will be of each of those referred to in the rolling stock plan of 30 January.

Tom Harris: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The Department does not compile this information, but it is available through the Railway trade press.

Tourists

Bob Spink: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many visitors to the Houses of Parliament undertook a public tour in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: Figures given are for calendar years:
	
		
			  Members '  tours (free) 
			   Number 
			 2003 95,990 
			 2004 111,656 
			 2005 106,844 
			 2006 127,736 
			 2007 133,533 
		
	
	Figures are for bookings taken and permits issued by the Central Tours Office and do not include guests escorted personally by passholders. They also do not include schools coming via the Parliamentary Education Service or Clock Tower Tours.
	
		
			  Summer opening (paying) 
			   Number 
			 2003 86,806 
			 2004 93,314 
			 2005 79,170 
			 2006 87,294 
			 2007 89,300 
		
	
	
		
			  Totals (both categories) 
			   Number 
			 2003 182,796 
			 2004 204,970 
			 2005 186,014 
			 2006 215,030 
			 2007 222,833

Civil Contingency Reaction Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the reservists who make up the operational capability of Civil Contingency Reaction Forces are on active duty overseas.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 1 March 2005,  Official Report, column 1137W, to the hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis).

Employment: Prisoners Release

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what Government assistance is provided for prisoners to secure work on release from prison; and what changes in types of support have been made since 1992.

James Plaskitt: Jobcentre plus offers extensive help to those leaving prison. The following have all been introduced since 1992.
	Employment and Benefit Surgeries—In prison-based Employment and Benefit Surgeries, Jobcentre Plus advisers work in co-operation with the Prison Service and other agency staff to address the key employment and benefit needs of prison inmates during both the entry and pre-release stages of their period in custody.
	New Deal—Offenders are entitled to early entry, from day one of their claim, to the new deals, including the New Deal for Young People, which applies to 18 to 24-year-olds, thereby giving them access to help with finding a job and dealing with their barriers to employment.
	Freshstart—Freshstart involves pre-arranging a new jobseeker interview to claim benefit (jobseeker's allowance) at the prisoner's home Jobcentre Plus office, on release. As well as speeding up the process for receiving benefit, the individual is exposed at the earliest opportunity to jobs and the prospect of engaging with mainstream provision, to which, in most cases, they will have early entry status. Last year 35,000 interviews were booked
	Rapid Reclaim Process—Jobcentre Plus also operate a "Rapid Reclaim Process" for jobseeker's allowance, income support and incapacity benefit (employment support allowance also when introduced). This service is available if a short-term prisoner reclaims within 13 weeks of their last claim and circumstances have not changed. There are simpler and shorter forms and the processing of the benefit is easier.
	Progress2work and progress2workLinkUP—Special programmes aimed at helping clients with drug misuse, the homeless, ex-offenders, and alcohol misusers deal with the particular barriers to work that they face. Both programmes are run by specialist providers who have established expertise in dealing with the issues faced by these client groups. Progress2work is a national programme; progress2workLinkUP is in almost half of Jobcentre Plus districts.
	Early Custody Licence—DWP shared services administer grants on behalf of the Ministry of Justice for those released on early custody licence.
	Exit to Work—Exit to Work is an action-research project trailing a new way of engaging employers and moving ex-offenders into work. The project is being managed by Working Ventures UK in collaboration with DWP, Jobcentre Plus, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Ministry of Justice. Exit to Work takes a two-pronged approach to tackling employment and skills-related issues for offenders:
	a network of seven Job Developers (across Birmingham, London, Manchester, Merseyside, Teesside, and South Yorkshire) whose role is to be a single point of contact for the employer, to help them understand the benefits of recruiting ex-offenders and how to mitigate the risks and to orchestrate the range of support available to provide the employer with a seamless package; and
	managing an information and vacancy sharing website, which allows CVs of ex-offenders to be uploaded, evaluated, and accessed on behalf of potential employers.
	Jobcentre Plus engages with young offenders both in custody and in the community. Dependant upon the customer's age, a range of support becomes available.
	Young offenders in custody have access to employment and benefit surgery advisers and can get employment and training advice as well as Freshstart appointments upon release to claim jobseeker' allowance.
	At age 18 offenders released from custody and community sentenced offenders have early entry to New Deal and access to specialist help via progress2work and Progress2work Link Up. Advisers regularly review activity and job search efforts and on a longer term basis, customers have to undertake mandatory activities such as New Deal for Young People. New Deal for young People has now been in operation for over 10 years and has helped thousands of young offenders to enter work and training.

Winter Fuel Payments: West Midlands

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a winter fuel payment in  (a) Warley constituency and  (b) Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council area in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: In winter 2006-07, 14,080 people in the Warley constituency and 54,360 people in Sandwell metropolitan borough council received a winter fuel payment. We expect the numbers to be similar for this winter.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	 Source:
	Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

Lymington River: Repairs and Maintenance

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the timetable is within which the Marine Fisheries Agency plans to determine the application by Wightlink for shore works on the Lymington river; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the Marine Fisheries Agency plans to consult when making an appropriate assessment on shore works to accommodate larger ferries in the Lymington river under the provisions of the Habitat Directive.

Jonathan R Shaw: In July 2007, Whitelink applied to the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) for a licence to undertake modification works to piles, fendering and linkspan bridges comprising parts of the ferry terminals at both Lymington and Yarmouth. The MFA's controls under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) and the Coast Protection Act 1994 (CPA) only apply to the works proposed seawards of Mean High Water Spring Tide line (i.e. only including the foreshore).
	Permissions related to the works have also been sought from other regulators, including the respective local authorities, the Environment Agency, and the Lymington and Yarmouth harbour authorities.
	In progressing the FEPA and CPA applications, the MFA is working with these regulators to address the need for more environmental data. The MFA have taken the view that the intended works should be subject to 'Appropriate Assessment' in compliance with the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994, which should also have regard to the potential effects on nature conservation that may arise from the operation of the proposed larger ferry vessels.
	A meeting was convened in January with the other regulators and Natural England to clarify what statutory responsibilities applied to the various elements of the project and how their possible effects were to be assessed. A subsequent meeting was held with Whitelink, primarily to discuss what additional data regulators and their advisers considered necessary.
	Whitelink also met separately with Natural England to clarify what further information would be needed to support an appropriate assessment, and they have commissioned marine consultants to prepare a report that will be submitted to each of the regulators. Lymington Harbour Commissioners have also set in train arrangements to monitor the hydrodynamic effects of the existing ferries as basis for considering any constraints that may be necessary, for health and safety reasons, to the operation of the new vessels.
	In determining their respective applications, regulators will individually and jointly, make an assessment of the additional data in so far as it applies to their responsibilities. This will enable them to determine the extent of any adverse risk to protected conservation sites, whether any mitigation is required and, if so, how this can be ensured.
	As the consultation process raised no concerns in respect of only those elements of the works proposed at Yarmouth, Whitelink made a further application to the MFA earlier this month in respect of those works. This application has been determined and a FEPA Licence and CPA consent were granted on 21 February.

Waste Disposal: Small Businesses

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the WRAP SME Recycling programme on increasing the rate of recycling waste since it was established; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The aim of WRAP's SME recycling programme was, through a series of trials, to increase and improve recycling services for small to medium enterprises. These businesses can find it difficult to access appropriate recycling services for the waste they generate for a variety of reasons; for instance, because they lack the internal resources needed to establish and manage a recycling scheme, and because individual SMEs generate relatively small quantities of waste.
	WRAP's programme has involved a range of feasibility and demonstration trials to develop appropriate recycling services, charging mechanisms, sales and marketing approaches and advice on staff involvement in recycling. The overall aim was to make recycling at work easy, convenient and cost-effective. A number of deliverables were measured for these trials, related to developing economic models for collection and good practice guidance for recycling service providers.
	WRAP's activities formed a research, rather than a delivery programme. Therefore, impact in tonnage terms was not the primary purpose. Early figures indicate that over 3,000 SMEs were recruited to recycling services. However, it is important to recognise that the key performance indicators for this programme revolved around information relating to how businesses could be recruited to recycling, what systems worked for them, what charging regimes could be employed and what collection frequencies are appropriate to make recycling more attractive to SMEs. The findings from the trials will be made available through Good Practice Guidance and Executive Summaries. These will be available on WRAP's website. The programme will be subject to a full evaluation at the end of this financial year, and the results will be published in WRAP's next annual review.

Inquiries

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the costs to date have been of the inquiries into  (a) Bloody Sunday,  (b) Robert Hamel's death,  (c) Rosemary Nelson's death,  (d) Pat Finucane's death and  (e) Billy Wright's death.

Shaun Woodward: The costs to the end of January 2008 for the inquiries are as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (£ million) 
			 The Bloody Sunday inquiry 181.4 
			 The Robert Hamill inquiry 13.0 
			 The Rosemary Nelson inquiry 24.5 
			 The Billy Wright inquiry 13.2 
		
	
	An inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane has not yet been established.
	The Wright and Hamill inquiries are operating under the Inquiries Act 2005. The Nelson inquiry is operating under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. The Bloody Sunday inquiry is operating under the Tribunals Act 1921.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the most recent letter from the hon. Member for Birkenhead on Mr. Eltifat Tahiri Moghanlo of Birkenhead (Home Office Reference M4714/7 T1047133); and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The previous Home Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 26 February 2007 on 12 March 2007 (correspondence reference: M4714/7). The Under-Secretary of State replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 16 July 2007 on 13 August 2007 (correspondence reference: M15070/7). The Minister for Borders and Immigration will reply to my right hon. Friend's further letter of 20 February 2008 shortly.

Migration Impact Forum

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Migration Impact Forum has met; who attended the meetings; what information it has provided on the impacts of migration on communities and public services; what advice it has provided on cohesion and integration issues; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Migration Impacts Forum (MIF) has met three times, twice in 2007 and once in 2008. Minutes of the MIF meetings, including details of those attending, and all relevant papers are publicly available at:
	www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk
	and
	www.communities.gov.uk
	The purpose of the Migration Impacts Forum (MIF) is to provide a forum for proper, regular and organised dialogue with interested parties outside central Government, focussed on the wider impacts associated with migration experienced by local areas. It:
	Considers information from forum members about the transitional impacts and/or adjustment requirements which derive from migration
	Identifies and shares good practice in managing transitional or adjustment requirements
	Brings together existing evidence about the impacts of migration
	Suggests areas for Government research on the impacts of migration
	The Forum meets quarterly and is chaired jointly by a Home Office and a Communities and Local Government Minister.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of alcohol-related illness for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne was in each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07; and what the rate was per head of population in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Data is available on the total finished admissions to hospital of residency of Newcastle primary care trust (PCT) in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis of an alcohol-related illness(1) at the start of his/her stay and the rate per head of the PCT area.
	This information has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Year (of end of first period of care in patient's hospital stay)  Alcohol-related illnesses finished admissions  Newcastle PCT estimated population  Percentage of finished admissions for alcohol-related illnesses for the Newcastle PCT population 
			 2006-07 2,022 270,462 0.75 
			 2005-06 1,828 269,644 0.68 
			 2004-05 1,629 267,104 0.61 
			 2003-04 1,644 267,167 0.62 
			 2002-03 1,468 267,415 0.55 
			 2001-02 1,487 266,241 0.56 
			 2000-01 1,606 — — 
			  Notes: The figures do not cover all incidence of alcohol-related illness, only these in which an admission to hospital.  Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected, the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. (1) All Diagnoses count of Mentions: These figures represent a count of all mentions of a diagnosis in any of the 14 diagnosis fields in the HES data set. Therefore, if a diagnosis is mentioned in more than one diagnosis field during an episode, all diagnoses are counted.  ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes Used: F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, K70: Alcoholic liver disease and T51: Toxic effect of Alcohol.  PCT geographical data: Population data for PCTs are only available for 2001 onwards.  Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: HES, the Information Centre for health and social care.

Dental Services: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are awaiting registration with an NHS dentist in Barnet; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.
	Under the old contractual arrangements, which were in place until 2006, patients had to register with an individual dentist. Under the new contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with a dentist to receive national health service care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') in a given area over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The numbers of patients seen by an NHS dentist in the 24-month period ending 31 March 2006, 31 March 2007 and 30 June 2007 are available in table C1 of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics, Q1 2007-08" report. This is the latest data available by primary care trust and strategic health authority area. This report, published on 28 November 2007 by the Information Centre for health and social care is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentstatsq10708

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's guidance to staff on hospitality states that hospitality
	"should be modest, and in keeping with the occasion, and justifiable as being necessary for the effective conduct of Departmental business ("wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of" your work)".
	The guidance also states that the provision of alcoholic drinks should be exceptional.
	The Department does not routinely collect data at this level of detail, as it is not required for our statutory reporting. A considerable manual exercise would need to be undertaken to separate expenditure on alcohol and entertaining from that relating to internal meetings and staff subsistence claims in order to provide this information. Such an exercise would incur disproportionate costs.

General Practitioners: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen by out of hours GP services in  (a) Enfield and  (b) Enfield North in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of patients seen by out of hours general practitioner (GP) services is not collected centrally. Primary care trusts (PCTs) now have a legal responsibility to ensure that they provide or secure provision of out of hours services for their local population. The hon. Member may therefore wish to approach the Chief Executive of Enfield PCT who might be able to provide data on the number of patients seen by local out of hours GP services.
	The NHS London Strategic Health Authority reports that Enfield PCT is in the process of trying to agree extended opening hours with all its practices.

Archaeology

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect that the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council's decision to fund the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) at the existing level in 2008-09 may have on the existing number of jobs at the PAS; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 21 February 2008
	 The decision of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to maintain current levels of funding for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in 2008-09, in the context of a tight spending review, recognises the importance of the scheme. Any assessment of the effect of future funding provision on the scheme is a matter for the MLA, which is working together with other stakeholders to ensure the scheme's continued success.

Archaeology: Wales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many archaeological finds made in Wales have been recorded under the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Margaret Hodge: As of 26 February 2008, 17,702 Welsh archaeological finds found by the public have been recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Archaeology: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many funds liaison officers (FLOs) cover Wales; what recent assessment he has made of FLOs' performance in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2008
	 The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
	One finds liaison officer covers Wales. The PAS also makes small grants to four Welsh Archaeological Trusts (Cambria-Dyfed Archaeological Trust, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust) to record archaeological finds found by the public. The finds liaison officers for Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside and Herefordshire and Shropshire also visit metal-detecting clubs in Wales and record finds made by Welsh finders.
	The PAS is funded by the MLA and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any assessment regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum.

Archaeology: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales in each of the last three years; what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2008
	 The total costs for the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in Wales in the last three years were £47,556.02 in 2004-05; £59,325.78 in 2005-06; and £47,863.87 in 2006-07.
	The PAS is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any assessment regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum.

Arts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 313-4W, on the arts, how many people each percentage figure in the tables represents.

Margaret Hodge: pursuant to the reply , 18 February 2008, Official Report, c.  313-4W
	The tables previously supplied are repeated with additional information relating to population. The tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who did not attend or participate in the arts during the 12 months prior to interview. Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	
		
			  Arts non-participation 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 54 2,110 54 2,110 
			 Limiting disability 53 4,570 53 4,510 
			 Lower socio-economic 58 9,150 59 9,380 
			 All adults 47 18,500 48 19,020 
		
	
	
		
			  Arts non-attendance 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority 41 1,610 43 1,700 
			 1,700Limiting disability 46 3,920 46 3,870 
			 Lower socio-economic 48 7,500 48 7,670 
			 All adults 34 13,290 34 13,400 
		
	
	Using the latest data available, the following tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who currently did attend and participate in the arts in the 12 months prior to interview. Again, these are the tables previously supplied but with additional information relating to population.
	
		
			  Arts participation 
			   2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 46 1,830 
			 Limiting disability 47 3,980 
			 Lower socio-economic 41 6,550 
			 All adults 52 20,880 
		
	
	
		
			  Arts attendance 
			   2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 57 2,230 
			 Limiting disability 54 4,610 
			 Lower socio-economic 52 8,270 
			 All adults 66 26,500 
		
	
	All data are taken from the DCMS 'Taking Part' survey, which provides national data on participation in arts activities and attendance at arts events by adults aged 16 and over.

Tourism: Standards

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what means his Department benchmarks the UK's performance in attracting overseas visitors against other European countries; and if he will publish the results of the latest such benchmarking exercise.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 February 2008
	DCMS does not benchmark the level of overseas visitors to the UK against other European countries. In a rapidly-changing international travel environment, with new destinations and national markets emerging rapidly, the UK's share of the world market is a more meaningful measure of performance. The 32.2 million inbound visitors to the UK in 2006 made up 3.6 per cent. of the world total, and their spending at £15.4 billion was 4 per cent. of world turnover. These percentages were up 0.1 per cent. and 0.2 per cent. respectively on 2005.
	For purposes of illustration, visits to the UK rose by 28.2 per cent. over 1997 to 2007, according to the Office for National Statistics' International Passenger Survey, compared to increases in number of arrivals over the same period in France (18.8 per cent.), Italy (20.5 per cent.), and Spain (34.6 per cent.).

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation: Fires

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fires in bed and breakfast establishments have been caused by cigarette smoking in the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 29 February 2008
	Information on the number of fires caused by cigarette smoking, solely in bed and breakfast establishments, in England, is unavailable. However, statistics on the number of fires in commercially run establishments (with sleeping accommodation) where smoking materials were cause of fire (2002-06) is in the following tables. The statistics include fires in hotels and boarding houses as well as bed and breakfast establishments.
	
		
			  Table 1: Accidental fires and casualties in commercially run establishments (with sleeping accommodation) by source of ignition. England 2002-06 
			   Total  Smokers' materials  Cigarette lighters  Matches  Cooking appliances  Space heating appliances 
			  2002   
			 Fires 692 119 8 6 168 43 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 44 10 1 0 11 3 
			  2003   
			 Fires 583 94 1 1 163 16 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 52 13 0 0 6 2 
			
			  2004 670 65 1 1 172 27 
			 Fires 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fatal casualties 35 11 0 0 8 2 
			 Non fatal casualties   
			
			  2005   
			 Fires 514 61 2 3 151 12 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 29 6 1 0 12 1 
			
			  2006   
			 Fires 572 71 0 2 144 20 
			 Fatal casualties 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 66 8 0 0 12 1 
		
	
	
		
			   Central and blowlamps  
			   Water heating appliances  Welding and cutting equipment  Electrical distribution  Other electrical appliances  Candles  Other  Unspecified 
			  2002
			 Fires 29 26 53 168 22 49 0 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 0 2 5 6 3 3 0 
			 
			  2003
			 Fires 9 7 58 141 42 29 28 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 0 0 2 16 9 3 1 
			 
			  2004
			 Fires 29 15 65 208 30 42 15 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 1 0 2 9 0 1 1 
			 
			  2005
			 Fires 18 11 55 143 20 29 9 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 2 0 2 3 2 0 0 
			 
			  2006
			 Fires 36 6 74 136 14 35 35 
			 Fatal casualties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Non fatal casualties 0 2 5 29 3 0 4 
			 (1 )Provisional.   Notes:  1. Including hotels, boarding houses and Bed and Breakfast establishments.  2. Excluding incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.  3. Figures for 2006 are provisional and subject to change.

Taxation: Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of people affected by his decision to levy tax on pension funds above £1.8 million rather than of £1.4 million and  (b) the effect on revenue to the Exchequer of (i) his decision to levy tax on pension funds above £1.8 million instead of £1.4 million, (ii) his decision to levy tax on pension funds above £1.4 million at 55 per cent. rather than 60 per cent. and (iii) his decision to delay the introduction of the 55 per cent. tax on pension funds above £1.4 million until 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member the answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1643W.
	The exit charge on funds crystallized in excess of the life time allowance (LTA) is designed to place a maximum on tax relieved pension saving. We do not expect the exit charge to raise significant revenue and there is negligible exchequer cost of reducing the rate to 55 per cent..
	The exit charge on funds in excess was introduced on 6 April 2006. No decision was taken to delay its introduction until 2010.

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: My Department offers flexible working arrangements to the majority our employees. Under these arrangements the ability to work from home is one option that is available to most grades on both a formal and an ad hoc basis. There is no requirement to maintain records of arrangements centrally, therefore this information could be collated only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department and its predecessor received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   Named day PQs that received a substantive answer on the day named  Holding replies  
			  Session  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total named day questions 
			 2005-06 246 65 132 35 378 
			 2006-07 355 79.25 93 20.75 448 
			 5 November 2007 to 29 February 2008 262 74 92 26 354 
		
	
	Records have only been available electronically since May 2005. Therefore, information for the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Lord Chancellor's Department prior to May 2005 is not held centrally and could be provided only by manually checking paper records at a disproportionate cost.

Electoral Register: Forms

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of whether electoral registration form RP 12 reflects the legal residency qualifications required of Commonwealth citizens to register;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of whether section 5 of the electoral registration form RP 12 identifies those individuals entitled to register as electors in Great Britain.

Bridget Prentice: There is no prescribed electoral registration form known as an RP 12, therefore I have made no assessment.
	Under the Representation of the People Act 1983 those entitled to vote at UK Parliamentary, European Parliamentary and local government elections are those who have attained the age of 18 and who are British citizens, citizens of Commonwealth countries who are resident on a permanent basis or have leave to remain, and resident citizens of the Republic of Ireland.
	The annual canvass form and the provisions for rolling registration effectively capture a person's nationality. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will use this information to determine a person's eligibility to register. Where there is doubt about eligibility the ERO may investigate and request further information from the elector.

Electoral Register: Publicity

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department has given to electoral registration officers on the promotion of credit referencing as a reason to apply for inclusion on an electoral roll on council-maintained websites.

Bridget Prentice: Responsibility for issuing guidance to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) on electoral registration lies with the Electoral Commission. I understand that they have not issued any guidance on the promotion of credit referencing as a reason to apply for inclusion on an electoral register. Promotion of electoral registration within each local authority is a matter for the independent EROs.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to promote Fair Trade Fortnight 2008 among staff within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: To increase staff awareness of Fairtrade fortnight, the event has been highlighted on the MoJ intranet, which provides a link to the Fairtrade Foundation website.

Family Law

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms of solicitors held contracts with the Legal Services Commission for the supply of legal advice in family law matters in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: 2,732 solicitors' offices held contracts with the Legal Services Commission for the supply of legal advice in family law matters, as at 30 September 2007.

Internet: Suicide

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made in implementing the suicide prevention strategy; and what assessment he has made of whether the target for the reduction in the number of suicides will be met.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The target is to reduce the death rate from suicide and injury of undetermined intent by at least a fifth by 2010. This target is measured in three-year pooled rates. Between 1995 and 1997 there were 9.2 deaths per 100,000 population and between 2004 and 2006 the rate had fallen to 8.3 deaths per 100,000 population—a fall of 10 per cent., from the baseline.
	The rate of decline had slowed, but there are now signs that the rate of decline may once again be increasing: an increased rate of decline must be sustained if the target is to be met. We are continuing to take action at local, regional and national levels to help reduce the number of suicides in our communities.

Legal Profession

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many solicitors in Wales have ceased providing legal services to clients who require legal aid for  (a) family law and  (b) criminal law for each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available by local authority but can be broken down by bid zone (Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, North Wales and South Wales). My hon. Friend, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, will write to the hon. Member in the next few days, once this information has been extracted.

Open Prisons: Prisoner Escapes

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many failures to return there have been to open prisons since 1997.

Jack Straw: Prisoners fail to return to prison following release on temporary licence. Between 1 April 1997 and 31 January 2008 there were 2,880 breaches of a temporary release licence following release on temporary licence from an open prison. This equates to an average of 266 breaches per year. Not all breaches of a temporary release licence are for failing to return to the prison but this specific information could be determined only at disproportionate cost by examining each of the 2,880 incidents. Prison Service Order 6300 Release on Temporary Licence was introduced in January 2006.

Perjury

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for  (a) perjury and  (b) attempting to pervert the course of justice were brought in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice, in England and Wales for the years 2002 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice, in England and Wales for the years 2002 to 2006( 1,2) 
			   Proceeded against 
			  Offence  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Perjury 109 137 155 138 110 
			 Pervert the cause of justice 2,646 2,396 2,088 1,972 1,804 
			 Total 2,755 2,533 2,243 2,110 1,914 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform - Ministry of Justice

Peterborough Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have absconded from HMP Peterborough in each quarter since 1 April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: HMP Peterborough is a closed establishment. An abscond is defined as an escape from a situation without physical security or restraint (e.g. most areas of an open prison) or from a situation where there were no staff present specifically assigned to guard a prisoner.
	No absconds have occurred since HMP Peterborough opened in March 2005. In quarter three of 2007-08, a prisoner escaped while being escorted by prison staff at a local hospital. The prisoner was recaptured the following day.

Prisoners Release: Scotland

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released from Scottish prisons have subsequently been deported in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The Border and Immigration Agency will seek to detain those foreign national prisoners that are under consideration for deportation or where deportation action is being pursued. Those that have committed crimes of a serious nature or may be a security threat to the Border and Immigration Agency estate remain in prisons. Others who continue to be detained pending removal are transferred to the Agency's estate.
	The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency advised the Home Affairs Committee during her appearance on 15 January that 4,200 foreign national prisoners were deported or removed from the United Kingdom in 2007. Information specific to those that were held at Scottish prisons can be obtained through the detailed examination of individual case files only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners Transfers: Jamaica

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to lay before Parliament the agreement between the UK and Jamaica on the transfer of Jamaican prisoners; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of repatriating a Jamaican prisoner.

Jack Straw: The United Kingdom and Jamaica signed a limited prisoner transfer agreement on 26 June 2007. This is the first prisoner transfer agreement to be entered in to by the Jamaican Government and it requires changes to Jamaican law before the agreement can enter into force. Once these changes have been made the agreement will be laid before Parliament in the normal way.
	No assessment of the average cost of repatriating a Jamaican prisoner to Jamaica has been made. However, any cost involved will be offset against savings in prison places and the cost to the prison service of the continued detention of a prisoner in the United Kingdom.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost per night of housing a prisoner is in a  (a) Category A prison and  (b) Category B prison.

David Hanson: Cost Information is published in the Annual Report and Accounts for Public Sector prisons.
	In 2006-07, the average cost per night of housing a prisoner was £143 in dispersal prisons, which hold Category A prisoners, and £77 in Category B prisons.
	Prison categorisation is based on each prison's main role.

Prisoners: Telephone Tapping

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether authorities have been issued for surveillance of telephone communication between prisoners and lawyers since 2005.

Maria Eagle: Arrangements for the interception of prisoners' communications are set out in the prison rules. In the case of prisoners' communications with solicitors, interception and monitoring would only be authorised where the governor had reasonable cause to believe that the calls would endanger prison security or the safety of others or are otherwise of a criminal nature. HM Prison Service does not retain central records regarding the interception of such communications and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment has been made of the demographic composition of  (a) the prisoner population and  (b) prison officers.

Jack Straw: The following table gives breakdowns of the prison population in England and Wales by (i) age and gender and (ii) by ethnicity and gender:
	
		
			  Prison population in England and Wales at 30 June 2006 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			  73,519 4,463 77,982 
			 15-17 2,370 70 2,440 
			 18-20 7,616 387 8,003 
			 21-24 11,937 686 12,624 
			 25-29 13,973 916 14,889 
			 30-39 20,576 1,384 21,960 
			 40-49 11,135 746 11,881 
			 50-59 4,007 224 4,232 
			 60 and over 1,905 49 1,954 
			 
			  All ethnic groups 73,519 4,463 77,982 
			 White 53,972 3,165 57,137 
			 Mixed 2,108 191 2,299 
			 Asian or Asian British 5,010 107 5,117 
			 Black or Black British 10,922 883 11,805 
			 Chinese or Other ethnic group 873 81 954 
			 Not Stated 288 21 309 
			 Unrecorded 61 0 61 
			 1991 Census ethnic codes 284 15 299 
		
	
	Similar age and gender, and gender and ethnicity breakdowns, for staff within the public sector Prison Service are contained in the following tables:
	
		
			  Public sector Prison Service staff by gender and age—as at 31 January 2008 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			 15-17 15 6 21 
			 18-20 350 295 645 
			 21-24 1,546 1,241 2,787 
			 25-29 2,383 2,059 4,442 
			 30-39 4,636 6,755 11,391 
			 40-49 5,745 11,619 17,364 
			 50-59 3,169 8,448 11,617 
			 60 and over 450 2,267 2,717 
			 Total 18,294 32,690 50,984 
		
	
	
		
			  Public sector Prison Service staff by ethnicity—as at 31 January 2008 
			  Ethnic group  Number  Percentage of known 
			 Asian 768 1.6 
			 Black 1,367 2.8 
			 Mixed, Asian/White 91 0.2 
			 Mixed, Black/White 187 0.4 
			 Mixed, Other 203 0.4 
			 Other Ethnic Group 354 0.7 
			 All BME 2,970 6.2 
			 White 45,074 93.8 
			 Ethnicity known 48,044 — 
			 Ethnicity not known 2,940 — 
			 Overall total 50,984 — 
		
	
	The following table shows the age breakdown of prison custody officers at eight prison establishments managed by the Director of Offender Management:
	
		
			  Age  Number 
			 18-20 11 
			 21-29 934 
			 30-39 712 
			 40-49 537 
			 50-59 157 
			 60+ 23 
		
	
	There are 1,528 serving male prison custody officers and 846 serving females at these prisons.
	Complete information on the ethnicity of staff at these prisons is not currently available, but a staff audit exercise is currently under way to update their equality monitoring information.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Shoplifting: Cleveland

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of shoplifting in the Cleveland police force area in each of the last two years.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for the offence of theft (from shop or stall), under the Theft Act 1968 S.l(l) in Cleveland Police Force area for the years 2005 and 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of persons found guilty at all courts for the offence of theft (from shop or stall), under the Theft Act 1968 S.1(1) in Cleveland Police Force area for the years 2005 and 2006( 1,2) 
			   Found guilty 
			  Force  2005  2006 
			 Cleveland 1,123 1,042 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	In addition the number of people given a Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND's) for the offence of theft (retail under £200) in 2005 is 479 and 689 in 2006 in Cleveland Police Force area.
	Court proceedings and PND data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

USA

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) date,  (b) location and  (c) purpose was of the meetings he had while in the United States in February 2008; and who attended each meeting.

Jack Straw: I visited Washington, Virginia and New York in the United States on 12 to 16 February. My visit was primarily to examine the work of a sentencing commission following Lord Carter's review of penal policy in December 2007 proposed the setting up of a UK sentencing commission.
	In Richmond, I met with members of the Virginia sentencing commission to assess how it has worked in terms of better balancing supply of prison places within the demands for sentencing.
	I visited the Coffeewood Correctional Centre to examine its work programme. This teaches prisoners skills such as carpentry, welding and optometry to help their chances of finding work when their sentences end.
	In New York I met the Federal District Attorney for the Southern District of New York and his colleagues to discuss mutual legal administration and other shared interests. I visited the Red Hook Community Justice Centre in New York to build on the lessons learned from community justice projects in the US. The centre was the US's first multi-jurisdictional community court and focuses on neighbourhood problems like drugs, crime and domestic violence.
	While in Washington, I met with Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court and members of the Judiciary, and Harley Lappin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I had meetings with Senator Leahy, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senator Specter, Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
	I delivered a speech "Modernising the Magna Carta: lessons from America, towards a British Bill of Rights" at George Washington University Law School on the UK Government's plans to bring forward a green paper on a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
	I paid a call on His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations. I had other private meetings.

Wymott Prison: Finance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget for HM Prison Wymott was in financial year 2007-08; and what its proposed budget is for 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: Prison budgets are allocated in March of each year and are currently largely based on historic spend, subject to adjustment for any required efficiency savings and increases to cover inflationary factors. The indicative budget for 2008-09 includes the effect of the reduction in the prison core day and the impact of the transfer of hospital bedwatches and escorts funding to the Department of Health. The budget will be further increased to include the effects of the 2008-09 pay award and other inflationary factors.
	The budget for 2007-08 is £21,887,000 excluding healthcare and education which are directly funded. The indicative budget for 2008-09 is £20,589,000.

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on  (a) maintaining,  (b) redecorating,  (c) refurbishing and  (d) otherwise improving 10 Downing Street in each (i) year and (ii) quarter since 1 April 1997.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies) and the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 913-14W, by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron), and the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 July 2002,  Official Report, columns 1368-69W, by my right hon. Friend the then Prime Minister (Tony Blair).

Admiralty House

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  pursuant to the answers of  (a) 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1079W, on Admiralty House and  (b) 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 826W, on Departmental records: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the services provided to the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull East whilst the Deputy Prime Minister's Office was an occupying department, included the supply of (i) linen and laundry services, (ii) internal plants, (iii) catering, (iv) telephones, (v) cable or satellite TV and (vi) internet access;
	(2)  whether the Cabinet Office facilities management contract includes cleaning inside official ministerial residences.

Tom Watson: No linen and laundry services, internal plants or cable or satellite services are provided to residents of Admiralty House. Telephone lines are provided which also support internet access. Catering services are available through the Cabinet Office's facilities management contract on a recharge basis. Internal cleaning of the ministerial residences is not included in the fixed fee element of the facilities management contract.

Departmental Legal Opinion

David Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 687W, on special adviser legal expenses, what criteria he applies to the disclosure of legal costs in relation to the police investigation into cash for honours for  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers.

Edward Miliband: I have nothing further to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 687W, which made clear that, in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, it would not be appropriate to provide any further breakdown of costs.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by Senior Civil Service staff in  (a) his Department and its agencies and  (b) the Office of the Leader of the House in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many people attended each citizens' jury held in each month since September 2007;
	(2)  which Government ministers attended each citizens' jury in each month since September 2007;
	(3)  how much the programme of citizens' juries has cost since its establishment;
	(4)  what changes to Government policy have been made as a result of the deliberations of citizens' juries.

Edward Miliband: The information on citizens' juries, including the impact, changes to Government Policy and full costs, is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of each Government department which commissions citizens' juries.
	In relation to the attendance to the citizens' jury held by the Cabinet Office on the Draft Legislative Programme on 20 October 2007, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1344W, to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) and to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 620W.
	The final costs of this citizens' jury were £56,033 and the outcomes will inform the consultation process for the Draft Legislative Programme in the future.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Tom Watson: Details of how many and what proportion of named day parliamentary questions the Cabinet Office answered between 2003 and 2007 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number due for answer  Percentage answered on the day named 
			 2007 96 66 
			 2006 71 77 
			 2005 58 88 
			 2004 112 60 
			 2003 59 76 
		
	
	Information prior to 2003 is not held. It is standard Cabinet Office practice to issue a holding reply when a substantive answer is not possible on the named day.

Junior Ministers

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what official engagements the hon. Member for West Bromwich East has undertaken in his capacity as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office since his appointment; and what his official engagements are in the next calendar month.

Tom Watson: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.

Local Government Services: Voluntary Organisations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the proportion of contracts awarded to third sector organisations that provide public services in Leyton and Wanstead that are three-year contracts; and what change there has been in this proportion over the last five years.

Phil Hope: This information is currently not held centrally.
	The Minister for the Third Sector will be reporting on Government progress in meeting the three-year funding commitment to HM Treasury on an annual basis. The first report will be made in autumn 2008. It is expected that local authorities will be making reports on three-year funding from 2009 onwards.

Ministers: Official Residences

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Chequers was included in official residences under  (a) section 4.2 of the July 2005 Ministerial Code and  (b) section 6.2 of the July 2007 Ministerial Code; which senior ministers were referred to in section 4.2 of the July 2005 Ministerial Code; and which official residences (i) senior ministers are required to live in for the purposes of the job, (ii) senior ministers are not required to live in for the purposes of the job and (iii) are not occupied by senior ministers.

Tom Watson: Official residences are assigned to Ministers by the Prime Minister either on grounds of security or in order to allow them to perform better their official duties. Rules on the use of official residences are set out in the "Ministerial Code". Official residences available to Ministers are:
	The flats above Numbers 10 and 11 Downing street;
	Flats in Admiralty House;
	1 Carlton Gardens;
	Hillsborough Castle and Stormont are available for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office while on duty in Northern Ireland.
	In addition, Chequers, Dorneywood and Chevening, none of which is owned by the Government are also used by Ministers. The Government House in Pimlico is no longer required and is in the process of being sold.

Warwick Task Force Group Compact

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  who the members are of the Warwick Task Force Group Compact; what its remit is; and how many times it has met;
	(2)  whether an official group within the Government has been established to take forward the implementation of the Warwick Agreement.

Tom Watson: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The Public Services Forum Task Group was established to take forward the Government's 2005 manifesto commitment to develop a compact with contractors and trade unions to ensure that employees working on Government contracts have access to skills, trade unions and advice should they wish. The group is attended by representatives from relevant departments, trade unions, business and the third sector.
	The group has met six times.

Aimhigher Initiative: Standards

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the performance of the Aim Higher Initiative in encouraging more pupils from deprived backgrounds to submit a UCAS application.

Bill Rammell: The Aimhigher programme is a major initiative designed to widen participation in higher education (HE), and increase opportunities for people from under-represented groups to attend higher education institutions and courses where competition for places is fiercest and which offer the highest financial rates of return.
	There have been various evaluations of the programme which show that it has had a positive impact on participants' attainment and their attitudes towards HE. In the programme's early years (2001 to 2002 when it was known as Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge (AH: EC), before it became a national programme, research showed that being part of AH: EC:
	 (a) led to an improvement in the proportion, by 4.6 per cent, of Year 9 pupils attaining levels 4, 5 or 6 in Maths at Key Stage 3;
	 (b) involved improvement in nearly all measures of Year 11's GCSE results, with an average improvement in total points scored of 2.5, which corresponds to an increase of between two and three grades in one GCSE; and
	 (c) AH: EC Year 11 participants were more likely to say that they intended to take part in HE (by 3.9 percentage points).
	Research conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) showed that over 70 per cent. of universities responding to its survey said that Aimhigher added value to their widening participation policies and activities have said that Aimhigher has provided a positive and welcome boost to their own efforts to widen participation in HE and that this has translated into increased applications.
	Given the long-term nature of widening participation in HE, and the complex interplay of factors that affect participation patterns, it is not possible to determine conclusively the effect Aimhigher has had on applications made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). But we do know that Aimhigher makes a difference, because those who deliver and participate in it tell us so. And they can point at facts that support their case—for example, in the West Midlands, over the last five years, the more disadvantaged communities have produced the largest increases in applications and acceptances. Those are the areas where Aimhigher operates most intensively. And we know that in England, since the introduction of Aimhigher, there has been a steady increase in the number and proportion of entrants to HE who come from lower social class backgrounds. This is reflected in the most recent UCAS application data for 2008 entry —in England, the proportion of applicants at age 18 coming from lower social class backgrounds is up from 28.2 per cent. in 2007 to 28.9 per cent. this year.
	Widening participation requires long-term address and we have announced the continuation of Aimhigher to 2011. We will continue to work with HEFCE to commission a national study to report before the end of 2011 on outcomes across the whole programme since 2004, when the unified, national Aimhigher was introduced. And at local level, Aimhigher Partnerships will determine the extent to which the Aimhigher programme has raised HE awareness, aspirations and attainment among participants and within participating institutions.

Apprentices: Olympic Games 2012

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprentices are working on London 2012 projects.

David Lammy: "World-class Apprenticeships" announced the formation of a London Task Force, which I will chair, to overcome barriers to the growth of Apprenticeships in London. The review also said that the Government will be strongly encouraging the companies that it contracts with, including those involved in large strategic projects such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to employ apprentices on these projects.
	There are, at present, 62 apprentices onsite at the Olympic Park. The Olympic Development Authority (ODA) is committed to get at least 2,000 people in apprenticeships and work placements (up to 2012) at the Olympic Park and other venues that the ODA is working on or building.
	There are a number of projects funded by the London Region Learning and Skills Council that are supporting apprenticeships in areas that will contribute to the success of the Olympics:
	188 new Sport and Leisure Apprenticeships (Levels 2 and 3) in coaching, teaching and instruction, activity leadership and fitness for able bodied and disabled learners.
	50 Advanced Apprenticeships in Sporting Excellence, in sports including athletics, swimming and tennis, to prepare elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes for competition in the 2012 Games.
	A construction Apprenticeship preparation programme at Kings Cross enabling 100 16 to 18-year-olds to progress into employment with Carillion.
	200 new customer service/hospitality Apprenticeships (Levels 2 and 3)—this is informed by Skills for Business research (2007), which predicts 12,000 new customer service jobs by 2012, including hotel, conference, restaurant and catering managers.
	The new National Apprenticeship Service, particularly the new matching service, will have a key focus on the 2012 Olympics. We expect that apprenticeship opportunities linked to the Olympics will increase as time progresses.

Apprentices: Standards

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of those providing apprenticeship training courses have had their contracts terminated as a result of poor performance since 2001.

David Lammy: The practice of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is to contract for apprenticeship places on an annual basis. In the case of a poorly-performing contractor, the LSC works in-year to seek to raise performance, including agreeing specific improvement actions, rather than moving immediately to terminate a whole contract or that covering the part of the contract that is considered substandard. To do otherwise could put at risk the opportunities of the apprentices concerned. Past performance is a key criterion in the allocation of annual contracts, and the trend over successive years has been for fewer companies to receive LSC contracts for apprenticeship places. Some of this pattern can be accounted for by mergers or acquisitions in the supplier market but these can be linked to performance issues.
	Data setting out the number of companies with whom the LSC contracted in each of the years 2001/02 onwards is in the table. It should be noted that one company may hold more than one contract because the LSC contracts by apprenticeship framework.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001/02 1,761 
			 2002/03 1,084 
			 2003/04 1,005 
			 2004/05 973 
			 2005/06 917

Astronomy Centre

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure the future of the Institute for Astronomy on the Blackford Hill site in Edinburgh;
	(2)  what the proposed change in Science and Technologies Facilities Council for funding the Astronomy Technology Centre (ATC), Edinburgh is in  (a) percentage and  (b) cash terms; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of that change on the ATC's work;
	(3)  what staff changes are being considered by the Science and Technologies Facilities Council for  (a) Daresbury,  (b) the Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh and  (c) the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

Ian Pearson: The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), which is owned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), is a world leader in the design and construction of instruments for many of the world's major telescopes. However, STFC's demand for its services has declined since the UK joined the European Southern Observatory in 2002.
	The STFC is looking at the future of the Astronomy Technology Centre in relation to the potential demand for its services and the council's science budget allocation. STFC is exploring the possibility of a partnership that makes use of the unique skills in the ATC and applies them to a wider portfolio, and it will look to work with the local universities and local funding agencies in taking that forward. It is too early to say what the outcome of these discussions will be.
	STFC issued a notice on 2 January calling for voluntary redundancies across all its activities. In line with previous announcements, the SRS (Synchrotron Radiation Source) at Daresbury will close on 31 December 2008 but STFC has not taken a decision on whether any compulsory redundancies (other than those relating to SRS) will be needed.

Catering

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent on refreshments for meetings since establishment; and at what cost per meeting.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Information on refreshments is not held centrally and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council of Ministers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what A List items were agreed to by his Department in the EU Council of Ministers in 2007.

David Lammy: Ministers from the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, and from the former Department for Education and Skills, together with Ministers from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport agreed the following A items at EU Council meetings:
	 Education, Youth and Culture Council 15-16 November 2007:
	1. Management Board of the European Chemicals Agency—Replacement of one member 14265/07 COMPET 297 ENV 549 CHIMIE 33 13731/07 COMPET 278 ENV 509 CHIMIE 27 + COR 1
	2. Adoption of a Council Regulation adapting Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania 13366/07 COMPET 268 ENV 484 CHIMIE 25 MI 226 ENT 116+ COR 1 (fi) 14036/07 COMPET 287 ENV 524 CHIMIE 29 MI 242 ENT 128
	3. Amended proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the provisional application of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Madagascar on fishing off the coast of Madagascar for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012—Adoption 14387/07 PECHE 309 13153/1/07 PECHE 271 REV 1 + REV 1 COR 1 (bg) + REV 2 (lv)
	4. Amended proposal for a Council Regulation on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Madagascar—Adoption 14388/07 PECHE 310 13154/07 PECHE 272
	5. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC with regard to improving the effectiveness of review procedures concerning the award of public contracts—Adoption of the legislative act PE-CONS 3634/07 MAP 20 CODEC 713 + COR 1 (sv)+ REV 1 (hu)+ REV 2 (fr)+ REV 4 (el)14241/07 CODEC 1117 MAP 22 + ADD 1 + ADD 1 COR 1 (fr)
	 Education, Youth and Culture Council 24 May 2007:
	1. Governing Board of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)  (a) Appointment of Ms Valentina DEIKOVA (BG), Mr. Enrico Eugenio CECCOTTI (IT), Ms Madlen SERBAN (RO) and Mr. Piotr BARTOSIAK (PL), members in the category of Government representatives  (b) Appointment of Ms Galia BOZHANOVA (BG), Ms llona KIUKUCANE (LV) and Mr. Ion HOHAN (RO), members in the category of representatives of Employers' organisations  (c) Appointment of Mr. Jef MAES (BE), Ms Svetla TONEVA (BG), Ms Ilze TRAPENCIERE (LV), Mr. Gheorghe SIMION (RO) and Mr. Zygmunt CYBULSKI (PL), members in the category of representatives of Employees' organisations 9336/07 EDUC 89 SOC 188
	2. Adoption of a Council Decision establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Community with regards to certain proposals submitted to the 14(th )meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (The Hague, Netherlands, 3-15 June 2007) 9198/07 ENV 230 WTO 107 + COR 1 (et) + ADD 1
	3. European Economic and Social Committee—Appointment of two Dutch members (Mr. Meijer and Ms Van Wezel) 8629/07 JUR 160 CES 13 9309/1/07 REV 1 CES 16
	4. Committee of the Regions—Appointment of an alternate member (BE) 8794/07 CDR 43 JUR 165 8795/07 CDR 44 + COR 1
	5. Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of Agreements in the form of agreed minutes on the modification of concessions with respect to poultry meat between the European Community and the Federal Republic of Brazil, and between the European Community and the Kingdom of Thailand pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994)
	Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the implementation of Agreements concluded by the EC following negotiations in the framework of Article XXVIII of GATT 1994, amending and supplementing Annex I to Regulation (ECC) n(o) 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff 8486/1/07 REV 1 WTO 74 AGRI 115 8488/07 WTO 75 AGRI 116 + COR 1 + REV 1 (ro) 9280/07 WTO 110 AGRI 140 + REV 1 (ro)
	6. Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union Request by the Council for the assent of the European Parliament 9703/07 AL 13 8937/07 AL 9 7812//07 AL 5 + REV 1 (en) + REV 2 (sl)
	7. Relations with Lebanon
	(a) Draft Council Decision on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 75 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part 8911/07 RL 9 8906/07 RL 8 UE-RL 3004/07
	(b) Draft Council Decision on a Community position within the Association Council on the implementation of Article 80 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part 8280/07 RL 6 + REV 1 (fi) 8277/07 RL 5 UE-RL 3001/07
	8. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information—Adoption of the legislative act PE-CONS 3602/07 ENT 9 ENV 43 CODEC 65 + COR 1 + REV 1 (ga)+ REV 1 COR 1 (ga) + REV 2 9156/07 CODEC 447 ENT 50 ENV 227 + ADD 1 + ADD 1 COR 1
	9. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on the structure and activity of foreign affiliates (LA) (First reading) - Adoption of the legislative act PE-CONS 3603/07 STATIS 12 COMPET 43 CODEC 101 + COR 1 + COR 2 + REV 1 (It) 9186/07 CODEC 451 STATIS 59 COMPET 130
	10. Third railway package (Third reading)
	(a) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the Community's railways
	(b) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the certification of train crews operating locomotives and trains on the Community's rail network
	(c) Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on International Rail Passengers1 Rights and Obligations—Non-approval of the European Parliament's amendments 9417/07 CODEC 491 TRANS 150 9418/07 CODEC 492 TRANS 151 9419/07 CODEC 493 TRANS 152
	 Education, Youth and Culture Council 16 February 2007:
	1. Governing Board of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (a) Appointment of Mr Ole BONDO CHRISTENSEN, to replace Mr. Jonas BERING LIISBERG, Danish full Member, who has resigned; (b) Appointment of Mr. Valerio SPEZIALE, to replace Mr Paolo REBOANI, Italian full Member, who has resigned; (c) Appointment of Mr.. Lorenzo FANTINI, to replace Ms Francesca PELAIA, Italian alternate Member, who has resigned; (d) Appointment of Mr. Orestis MESSIOS, to replace Mme Lenia SAMUEL, Cypriot full Member; who has resigned:(e) Appointment of Ms Yiota KAMBOURIDOU, to replace Mr. Charalambos KOLOKOTRONIS, Cypriot alternate Member; who has resigned. 6126/07 SOC 53
	2. Adoption of a Council decision appointing members of the European Social Fund Committee 5662/07 SOC 29 + ADD 1 16601/06 SOC 605
	3. Adoption of a Council Regulation amending Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC (LA) 5257/07 ENV 19 ENT 4 + COR 1 (en) + COR 2 (cs) + REV 1 (fi) + REV 2 (hu) 6026/07 ENV 75 ENT 16

Delivery Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services.

David Lammy: Mail services for the Department are provided by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and by the Department for Children Schools and Families.
	The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform uses the following companies and organisations for mail services:
	Royal Mail
	Parcel Force
	Lewis Day
	Government Mail
	Pitney Bowes
	FCO
	DHL
	The Department for Children Schools and Families uses the following companies and organisations for mail services:
	Royal Mail
	Parcel Force
	Copley Couriers
	Central Dispatch Couriers and
	'Same Day'

Departmental Electricity

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the electricity bill for his Department was in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The buildings occupied by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, since its creation in June 2007, are administered on our behalf by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. This also goes for the related facilities management arrangements and utilities contracts. The exact split of utilities bills has not yet been carried out.

Departmental Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what training courses are available to departmental staff via his Department's learning and development unit.

David Lammy: We refer to the answer given on 27 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1656W (PQ 180354).

Educational Institutions: Nutrition

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his policy is towards healthy eating in establishments within the responsibilities of his Department, with particular reference to undergraduate students; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Promoting healthy lifestyles for people in England and Wales is an important governmental responsibility. The Department of Health is responsible for helping the public to make healthier and more informed lifestyle choices generally, and for promoting healthy eating for all young people and adults as outlined in the recent joint strategy paper "Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives". The Food Standards Agency also produces guidance on healthy eating specifically aimed at students. Higher and further education institutions are self-governing independent bodies and take account of national guidance and local circumstances in developing their own policies.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress his Department has made on the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto published in November 2006.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 February 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	There are nearly 900 signatories to the Manifesto vision and aims. They are represented by a National Advisory Group comprising eight sector partnerships (natural environment, farming and countryside, outdoor adventure, places of worship, creativity and arts, heritage, built environment, school grounds and early years), school workforce, local authorities, parents, governors and young people.
	The National Advisory Group has agreed an Action Plan to tackle the barriers to learning outside the classroom identified during consultation. With our partners, we are promoting the benefits to a wide audience; producing 'How to' guidance, teacher resources and training modules; creating an umbrella quality badge for providers; and setting up an independent council to take forward the Manifesto objectives.

Older Workers: Industrial Training

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what  (a) grants and  (b) training schemes are available through his Department for people (i) over 55 years old and (ii) in retirement to learn new job skills.

David Lammy: All adults aged 19 plus, who are not in receipt of out of work benefits, can access the Adult Learning Grant (ALG), which pays up to £30 per week in term time to help with learning costs to study for a first full Level 2 or first full Level 3 qualification.
	Our World Class Skills reforms will support individuals, including older people into sustainable employment and progression in work and in skills. We will give greater ownership and choice to individuals over their training through skills accounts backed up by a new universal adult careers service promoting personal advancement.
	Similarly we are working with employers through Train to Gain and the Skills Pledge to meet skill needs and to ensure that all employees including older people have the basic skills, including literacy and numeracy and Level 2 skills (equivalent to five good GCSEs) needed to sustain and progress in employment. We are increasing funding for Train to Gain from £440 million in 2007/08 to over £900 million in 2010/11.
	We are also investing some £1.5 billion in each of the next three years in learning below level 2 and progression learning, to support low skilled and those not in employment to improve their skills and secure sustainable employment.

Students: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how his Department encourages students entitled to bursaries to apply for them; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The great majority of those entitled to bursaries in 2006/07 either applied to their university for funding, or were the subject of an automatic notification of eligibility from the Student Loans Company to their university because they had given consent to the sharing of financial data.
	Many universities have worked hard to maximise take up of bursaries. In some cases, not enough has been done, and the Director of Fair Access, Martin Harris, has written to universities where this is so. We support this initiative. In addition, at our request the Student Loans Company is providing clearer information to applicants for student loans about the benefits of giving consent to share financial data with universities, although consent to share rightly remains a matter of individual choice.
	DIUS raises awareness of all elements of the higher education student finance package including bursaries via literature, web and campaign material.
	Additionally, the Department established a bursary map
	www.direct.gov.uk/bursarymap
	to help individuals link through to higher education institutions in England to find out what financial help they are offering and how they should apply.

Students: Loans

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the merits of using the  (a) retail prices index,  (b) the consumer prices index and  (c) the retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments to calculate interest on student loans.

Bill Rammell: The Department keeps the interest rate of student loans under review but has no plans to deviate from the retail prices index (RPI) which reflects price movements across the whole economy. The RPI has been used since the introduction of student loans and ensures that borrowers repay the same, in real terms, as the amount borrowed.
	Interest rates on loans are already generously subsidised in a way which is fair both to borrowers and to the taxpayer.

Unemployment: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of 16 to 19 year olds in Cleethorpes constituency were registered as unemployed in the last five years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 1 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of 16-19 year olds in Cleethorpes constituency were registered as unemployed in the last five years for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (172520)
	ONS compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 1, attached, shows the number of people, aged 16-19 resident in the Cleethorpes constituency, claiming JSA in January from 2004 to 2008. Population estimates used to calculate claimant count proportions are not available for parliamentary constituencies for this particular age group.
	
		
			  Table 1: 16-19 registered unemployed, resident in Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency for the last five years 
			  12 months ending  Level( 1) 
			 January 2004 200 
			 January 2005 210 
			 January 2006 230 
			 January 2007 235 
			 January 2008 190 
			 (1) Data rounded to nearest 5.

Wolverhampton University: Grants

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will hold discussions with the management of Wolverhampton University on the impact of proposed changes to equivalent learning qualification funding.

Bill Rammell: No students currently studying equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs) will be affected by these changes. In future, our policy of redistributing grant will widen participation and mean that more of the millions people of working age, of whom there are many in the West Midland, who do not have a first higher-level qualification, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, will be able to benefit from participating in Higher education. Wolverhampton University is well-placed to attract and retain more first-time entrants to Higher Education which is our top priority. However, all we have asked HEFCE to do is redistribute about £100 million by 2010. Wolverhampton's share of this sum will be less than £1 million which is less than 1 per cent. of its overall annual income.

Broadband: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which villages in Easington constituency do not have 100 per cent. broadband coverage; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which Minister and departmental division in his Department is responsible for corporate social responsibility.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 February 2008
	I am responsible for corporate responsibility at BERR. The Sustainable Development and Regulation Directorate, within Enterprise and Business Group, leads on this area for BERR.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget was for promoting corporate social responsibility  (a) internally at his Department and  (b) externally by his Department to British companies in each of the last five calendar years.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 February 2008
	BERR leads on corporate responsibility but is supported in that work by many other Departments.
	Within BERR much of our, and formerly DTI's, work encompasses aspects of the corporate responsibility agenda, for example the national contact point and training for business on UK law on bribery and corruption provided by UKTI (a joint BERR/FCO organisation).
	Only the work carried out by the sustainable development and regulation branch of BERR is formally attributed a corporate responsibility budget. Budgets are not segregated according to whether expenditure is internal or external and information is only available for financial years, not calendar years.
	For each of the years 2003-04 to 2006-07 the corporate responsibility expenditure was around £300,000. This expenditure included set up costs for the CSR Academy, now transferred to Business in the Community (BITC), and a cross Government corporate responsibility web site. To date in 2007-08 expenditure on corporate responsibility is £130,000.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many full-time equivalent staff work on corporate social responsibility in his Department.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 February 2008
	BERR leads on corporate responsibility within Government but is supported in that work by many other Departments.
	Within BERR, much of our, and formerly DTI's, work encompasses aspects of the corporate responsibility agenda, for example the national contact point and training for business on UK law on bribery and corruption provided by UKTI (a joint BERR/FCO organisation).
	It is not possible to give figures for staff working on the corporate responsibility agenda across BERR, but 8.5 staff work within its dedicated sustainable development and corporate responsibility section.

Business: Ethics

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made on the Government's proposals for corporate social responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR leads on corporate responsibility (CR) but is supported in that work by many other Departments. Our policy is, via voluntary means, to raise performance above minimum legal standards and encourage companies to look at a wider range of stakeholder interests.
	We have created a policy framework which encourages and enables responsible behaviour by business and helps to ensure we have decent minimum levels of performance in areas such as health and safety, the environment and equal opportunities.
	Progress includes improvements to the running of the UK national contact point; the creation of the new DFID-BERR Trade Policy Unit which brings together trade and development experts to ensure UK competitiveness and market access, work for better trade deals for poorer countries and for better support for those wishing to trade themselves out of poverty; the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill, which will give added protection to the consumer; the new provisions of the Companies Act 2006, which are designed to bring greater shareholder engagement and transparency; and the current development of an International Standard on Corporate Social Responsibility (ISO 26000).
	Among the various activities internationally Government champions the extractives industry transparency initiative to encourage greater transparency of oil, gas and mining revenues in developing countries and supports the work of John Ruggie, appointed as the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on human rights and transnational corporations.
	Departmental progress on CR related matters is available through press notices and their own websites. Links to these can be found at the dedicated CR Government website:
	www.csr.gov.uk

Coal Fired Power Stations

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his estimate is of the number of coal-fired power plants required to meet the UK's electricity needs.

Malcolm Wicks: This is a matter for electricity generating companies as the Government do not determine the fuel mix of the UK's generating fleet. Generators have every incentive to ensure that the UK's need for secure supplies of low carbon electricity are met in the most cost-effective and efficient way, taking into account factors such as the carbon intensity, energy conversion efficiency, fuel availability and cost, generating flexibility, supply chain constraints and lead times of the various possible energy generating technologies. The Government do, however, monitor the supply-demand balance in the UK's energy markets through its annual energy markets outlook.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what definition of the term capture ready he uses; and what criteria are used to determine whether a proposed power plant is capture ready with regard to carbon capture and storage.

Malcolm Wicks: There is as yet no agreed definition of capture ready either in the UK or internationally.
	Ministers committed themselves in the Energy White Paper last year (s.5.4.27) to consulting on both the principle of carbon capture readiness and its definition. We expect to issue the consultation document shortly. It will also be seeking views on the draft EU directive on carbon storage (including its proposed definition of what constitutes carbon capture readiness) published a few weeks ago.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will hold a consultation on a suitable definition for the phrase carbon capture and storage ready as it applies to coal-fired power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: In our Energy White Paper last May, the Government committed to doing exactly this in respect of all fossil fuelled power stations, not solely coal fired ones. We expect to issue our consultation, which will also take into account the draft EU directive on carbon storage, later in the spring.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  whether his Department has sought advice from the Department of Communities and Local Government on the application of criteria for calling in planning applications and referring such applications to a planning inspector to the application for consent for a coal fired power station at Kingsnorth, Kent;
	(2)  what criteria he plans to use in deciding whether to call a public inquiry before determining the application for a coal fired power station at Kingsnorth, Kent;
	(3)  what response he has made to representations by Medway Council in connection with the proposed Kingsnorth power station on  (a) a public inquiry,  (b) combined heat and power capacity at the plant and  (c) available land for future carbon capture and storage facility.

Malcolm Wicks: My Department is aware of the criteria used for calling in planning applications. However the Kingsnorth application falls to be determined not under the normal planning regime, but under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and as such it is for the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to decide whether to use his discretion to call for a public inquiry in view of the representations he has received.
	There are no criteria laid down for calling a discretionary inquiry.
	We will address all of Medway council's representations in any decision that is taken, including whether or not to hold a public inquiry.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ask EON UK to provide a technical assessment of the feasibility and likely costs of retrofitting its proposed Kingsnorth coal fired power station with carbon capture technology and of the availability of suitable storage sites and suitable transport sites.

Malcolm Wicks: In deciding whether to approve E.ON's planning application for Kingsnorth power station under s 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 Ministers will be considering a range of possible conditions, including whether—and if so in what terms—there should be readiness for future carbon capture.

Companies House WebCHeck Website

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many times Companies House's WebCHeck website experienced technical difficulties in each month of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: A table detailing the number of technical difficulties each month in the last three years experienced by Companies House's WebCHeck follows.
	
		
			   Number of incidents 
			 February 2005 4 
			 March 2005 3 
			 April 2005 3 
			 May 2005 4 
			 June 2005 2 
			 July 2005 0 
			 August 2005 7 
			 September 2005 3 
			 October 2005 3 
			 November 2005 7 
			 December 2005 3 
			 January 2006 4 
			 February 2006 1 
			 March 2006 8 
			 April 2006 2 
			 May 2006 7 
			 June 2006 6 
			 July 2006 3 
			 August 2006 2 
			 September 2006 1 
			 October 2006 6 
			 November 2006 5 
			 December 2006 0 
			 January 2007 1 
			 February 2007 10 
			 March 2007 2 
			 April 2007 2 
			 May 2007 0 
			 June 2007 1 
			 July 2007 1 
			 August 2007 4 
			 September 2007 2 
			 October 2007 4 
			 November 2007 2 
			 December 2007 7 
			 January 2008 5 
			 February 2008 2

Defence Export Services Organisation

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many former Defence Export Services Organisation personnel are  (a) seconded and  (b) due to be seconded to his Department.

Gareth Thomas: There are currently around 83 staff on loan to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform from other departments (loan being the term used to refer to secondment within the civil service). Information is not available on how many have previously worked in DESO.
	Details of the number of staff to be transferred from the Ministry of Defence on 1 April as a consequence of the transfer of responsibility for defence export support will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The percentage of working days lost by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, (formerly the Department of Trade and Industry), including UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and Office of Manpower Economics (OME), attributed to stress-related conditions for the period January 2007 to December 2007 is 15 per cent. (2,367 days lost due to stress-related conditions out of a total of 15,676 sick days over the same period).
	Stress-related conditions include the following: anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

Departmental Telephone Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) 0800,  (b) 0845 and  (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are used by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to his Department.

Gareth Thomas: From the central records available the "08" telephone services administered by the Department for public use is as follows:
	
		
			   Department/Agency 
			  (a) 0800 number  
			 0800 373 317 Construction Market Intelligence 
			   
			  (b) 0845 numbers  
			 0845 015 0010 BERR Publications Order line 
			 0845 015 0020 BERR Publications Order line (Fax) 
			 0845 015 0030 BERR Publications Order line (Minicom) 
			 0845 019 0001 Personnel Training Services Consortium 
			 0845 600 0678 National Minimum Wage 
			 0845 600 9006 Business Link Helpline 
			 0845 9555105 Employment Agency Standards 
			   
			  (c) 0870 numbers  
			 0870 513 4486 Queens Award Office 
		
	
	The agencies which report to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have been asked to provide separate written responses.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Gareth Thomas: In accordance with the Department's "Race Equality Scheme 2007-08", available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/about/strategyobjectives/howwework/equalityschemes/page35704.html
	BERR documents may be made available in languages for people in the UK who do not speak English to support appropriate access to information, at the Department's discretion and subject to demand. Examples of documents published or planned in other languages include employee rights information and leaflets on the digital television switchover.
	A listing of BERR's currently available publications can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/publications
	Information on translation of documents by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is held by the bodies themselves. It is not held centrally. I am asking agency chief executives to write direct to the hon. Member and am arranging for a copy of the list of non-departmental public bodies to be placed in the Library of the House for the use of the hon. Member.

Devolution: Carbon Emissions

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to co-ordinate action on carbon emissions reduction.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR worked with the devolved Administrations over the development of the 2007 Energy White Paper, which sets out the UK Government's energy strategy. The role of the devolved Administrations in energy policy is set out in chapter 9 of that document. BERR actively engages with the devolved administrations on issues on which they have specific responsibilities or interests. In the last year, these have included discussions on the EU's integrated climate change and energy policy, renewables, including the renewables obligation offshore wind policy and the offshore energy strategic environmental assessment, electricity grid issues, carbon capture and storage, the feasibility study for power generation in the Severn estuary (with the Welsh Assembly Government), the Heat Call for Evidence, the establishment of the Environmental Transformation Fund, as well as of course on the Energy Bill. Moreover, BERR also contributes to the work of bodies such as the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust which are charged with reducing emissions across the UK.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether a national database of e-consultations across Government has been established.

Gareth Thomas: The Business Link website provides details of, and links to, consultations of particular interest to small businesses; Directgov provides information about, and links to, consultations of broad interest to citizens; and www.info41ocal.gov.uk provides information about, and links to, consultations of particular interest to local authorities, although registered users represent all sectors. Departmental websites also routinely list all on-going consultations.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the operation of e-consultation across Government to date; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Online consultation is one channel through which the Government consult during policy development. The Government have recently carried out a review of Government consultation policy, asking those who regularly participate in Government consultation exercises how consultation could be improved. One message from this review is that the Government should design consultation exercises to be accessible and this means making better use of the full range of channels, including electronic channels.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what funding his Department provides for e-consultations across Government.

Gareth Thomas: Consultation exercises, electronic or otherwise, are usually financed from the budget line for the policy area rather than from any central resource within departments or across Government.

Energy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to the future use of alternative, non-renewable energy sources; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) industry representatives on the future use of alternative, non-renewable energy sources;
	(3)  whether any grants from the public purse in support of work on alternative energy sources are also available to non-renewable energy sources.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK needs a diverse mix of low-carbon energy sources to contribute to our energy and climate change goals. The Energy White Paper set out the Government's policy to tackling our key challenges and the guiding principle of market access to all the options available so we can have a diverse and increasingly low carbon energy mix, enabling us to respond to the rapidly changing challenges we will face in the future.
	The challenge of moving towards a lower carbon economy requires us to develop a portfolio of low carbon energy technologies such as carbon abatement technologies, including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and fuel cells, nuclear power and renewables. On 19 November 2007, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Government competition for a full scale demonstration of carbon, capture and storage technologies on a coal fired power plant and on 10 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State invited companies to bring forward proposals to build new nuclear power stations.
	Public sector funding for low carbon technology innovation is being delivered through the Research Councils, the Technology Strategy Board, Energy Technologies Institute and from April the Environmental Transformation Fund. These bodies work closely together to ensure that funding activities are complementary and together effectively supports a portfolio of technologies, including alternatives such as hydrogen and nuclear power.
	BERR engages with external stakeholders such as the Energy Research Partnership (ERP), Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies (ACCAT), Renewable Advisory Board (RAB), UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE) which include scientific and industry representatives, on the delivery of these activities. The Secretary of State, in the course of his official engagements, regularly meets representatives from energy companies as well as other stakeholders.

Export Credit Guarantees: Indonesia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much cover the Export Credits Guarantee Department has extended for military exports to Indonesia in each year since 2000.

Malcolm Wicks: Since 2000, ECGD has supported two defence transactions, worth £5.84 million, to Indonesia. The following table gives details by year.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of applications  Maximum liability (£ million) 
			 2000-01 0 0 
			 2001-02 0 0 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
			 2004-05 1 4.18 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 1 1.66 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 Total 2 5.84

Food: Packaging

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) initiatives and  (b) incentives his Department has in place to encourage reductions in the amount of packaging used for food; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 February 2008
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 oblige companies above a threshold to pay for a certain proportion of the UK obligation to recycle packaging. Different companies in the supply chain from manufacturers to retailers pick up a different sized proportion of the obligation and must pay according to the amount of packaging used. The less packaging they use, the less they will pay in fees. This has, over time, resulted in lightweighting across a range of products. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) continues to work with businesses to help them minimise their packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) require packaging volume and weight is the minimum amount.

Food: Packaging

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidelines his Department issues to (a) supermarkets and  (b) food manufacturers on the amount of packaging used for (i) foodstuffs and (ii) confectionery; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 February 2008
	Supermarkets and food manufacturers are required under the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) to ensure that packaging volume and weight is the minimum amount adequate to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer. Government Guidance Notes explaining these requirements are available to download from the BERR website. Practical help for business on understanding their obligations is provided by the Government-funded Envirowise service.

Fossil Fuels: Nature Conservation

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the designation of Pen Llyn and Pembrokeshire marine areas as special areas of conservation is compatible with oil and gas development; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 27 February 2008
	Proposed licensing and any subsequent offshore activities in or near to these areas will be subject to the provisions of the habitats and wild birds directives. Wherever oil and gas development is likely to have a significant effect upon special areas of conservation such as Pen Llyn and Pembrokeshire, an environmental assessment under the habitats and wild birds directives will be carried out before any licences are awarded under the 25th licensing round; where relevant, an environmental assessment will also be carried out before oil and gas activities are consented. I will have regard to the results of any such environmental assessment.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research he has recently  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the effect of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 on fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In accordance with the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, in February 2001, the Government launched a consultation draft of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy and later that year, the finalised strategy (http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file16495.pdf).
	Fuel poverty is measured annually, using the results of the English House Conditions Survey (EHCS). The following table shows approximate number of households living in fuel poverty since 1996.
	
		
			  Estimated number of fuel poor households 
			  Million 
			   UK  England 
			 1996 6.5 5.1 
			 1998 4.75 3.4 
			 2001 2.5 1.7 
			 2002 2.25 1.4 
			 2003 2.0 1.2 
			 2004 2.0 1.2 
			 2005 2.5 1.5 
		
	
	Figures for 2006 will be available later this year.

Heating: Energy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that UK manufacturers of heating controls are not economically disadvantaged as a result of the implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Commission is bringing forward measures under this directive, including one for heating and hot water systems that includes consideration of how control systems can be used to improve the energy efficiency of those appliances. A wide range of stakeholders have been consulted throughout the process and also have a formal opportunity to comment on the Commission's initial proposal at the EU Consultation Forum Meeting scheduled for 29 February or in writing up to three weeks after that meeting. My officials are also currently consulting the UK industry on the Commission's proposal. As a single market directive, any measures made under the EuP framework would apply to all member states, ensuring free movement of compliant goods across the Community.

Heating: Trade Competitiveness

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to preserve the competitiveness of the UK heatings controls manufacturing industry following implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I have given to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr. Williams) to his question 189463 today.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much had been paid out as compensation to miners for  (a) chest and  (b) vibration white finger disorders as at December 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: Please see the following table showing how much has been paid out as compensation to miners and their families for  (a) chest claims and  (b) vibration white finger claims as at 31 December 2007. Damages reflect total compensation paid on settled claims and any interim payments made on outstanding claims.
	
		
			  Policy  Total damages (£ billion) 
			 COPD 2.2 
			 VWF 1.6

Marine Management Organisation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what licensing powers currently within his Department's responsibilities he expects to be transferred to the Marine Management Organisation, as proposed in the Marine Bill White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: It is proposed that powers to determine consent of applications under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for offshore generating stations with an installed capacity of 100 MW and below will be transferred from BERR to the Marine Management Organisation. Under proposals set out in the Planning Bill, the Infrastructure Planning Commission will deal with applications for offshore generating stations with an installed capacity exceeding 100 MW.

Mineral Waters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on mineral water in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department provides bottled water within our restaurant, cafe areas and hospitality services via our contracted service provider.
	Water purchased by our contracted service provider for consumption on the BERR estate can not be broken down between official and personal spend.

Nuclear Consultations and Liabilities Unit

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of hospitality provided to senior civil servants in the Nuclear Consultations and Liabilities Unit was in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Nuclear Consultations and Liabilities Unit began operation in September 2006. The figures given as follows therefore start from this date.
	The estimated value of hospitality provided to the five senior civil servants in the unit was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			  (a) From September until December 2006 686 
			  (b) From January until December 2007 1,530 
		
	
	The hospitality that is accepted by civil servants is subject to the conditions laid out in the Civil Service Code.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated cost is of decommissioning each nuclear site within the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimating the costs of decommissioning and cleaning up the historic civil public nuclear sites, including the Magnox nuclear power stations, is the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The latest estimate is set out on page 105 of the NDA's Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, which is available on the NDA website at www.nda.gov.uk. This shows the discounted nuclear provision of each site for which the NDQA is responsible but does not separate decommissioning and clean up costs. The NDA is currently in the process of updating the estimated lifetime financials per site, which will list separate decommissioning and clean up costs for each site. This will be published on the NDA website later in the year.

Oil: Exploration

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which blocks have been excluded from the 25th licensing round for oil and gas  (a) on environmental grounds and  (b) due to lack of data.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 27 February 2008
	42 blocks have been excluded from the 25th licensing round on environmental grounds, this includes 21 blocks which have been excluded pending appropriate assessment consultations.
	Following recommendations in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) 7, a further 44 blocks to the west of Scotland have been excluded due to lack of data.

Post Offices: Closures

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions have taken place between his Department and Post Office Ltd. and  (a) the Equality and Human Rights Commission and  (b) disability rights organisations on the impact of local post office closures on people with disabilities.

Patrick McFadden: In developing and consulting on its proposed strategy to put the post office network, on a more sustainable footing, including closure of up to 2,500 offices, Government sought views and comments of the public and of a range of organisations representing customer groups including the disabled. The Government's response in May 2007 to the national public consultation confirmed that in rationalising the network no particular part of the network and no particular group of people should be significantly more adversely affected by closures than any other. It also confirmed that access criteria would be introduced to maintain a national network and, in particular, to protect vulnerable customers and that, in applying these criteria, Post Office Ltd. would take account of geographical factors and consider local socio-economic factors and availability of public transport to access alternative service provision.
	Assessment of the impact of the closure of specific individual post offices is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. in developing and consulting locally on its area plan proposals. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from the Mayor of London on post offices in London in each year since 2001.

Patrick McFadden: The information is not available in the form requested. However our records show that, within the period specified, the Mayor of London made numerous representations about post office closures in general and about the closure of specific, individual post offices. The Mayor also responded to the Government's national consultation on the Post Office and discussed post office issues most recently with me at a meeting on 19 September 2007.

Radioactive Materials: Theft

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions radioactive material has been  (a) stolen and  (b) lost from (i) nuclear premises and (ii) in transit since 2003.

Malcolm Wicks: Across the UK, the largest amounts of nuclear materials are stored or processed on civil licensed nuclear sites, whose security is regulated by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), which is a part of the Health and Safety Executive. The UK's civil nuclear sites and nuclear material transporters apply robust security measures and are regulated by OCNS to ensure compliance.
	Since 2003, OCNS have not recorded any thefts or losses of nuclear or radioactive material in the UK, either from a civil licensed nuclear site or when in transit.
	Outside of the sites and material in transit regulated by OCNS, small numbers of thefts and losses have occurred whilst radioactive materials have been transported in the UK and the Department for Transport (DFT) investigates such events and takes regulatory action as appropriate. Information is available in reports published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on behalf of DFT. All HPA reports have been placed in the House of Commons Library and copies of these reports since 2001 are available on the DFT website.

Regional Development Agencies: Government Offices for the Regions

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidelines are in place to  (a) co-ordinate and  (b) prevent duplication in the work of the regional development agencies and the Government Offices for the Regions; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: RDAs and GOs have different and complementary roles supporting sustainable economic development in the regions. The nine regional development agencies were established by the RDA Act 1998 and the GLA Act 1999 to undertake the purposes set out in the Acts. The Government office network is central Government in the regions. It works on behalf of 11 sponsor Departments.
	The objectives of the RDAs and the Government offices are set out in their corporate plans and officials here and in CLG regularly meet them to discuss their respective work programmes.
	Government offices and RDAs have strong working relationships, involving regular high level interactions, and share a common understanding of where each add value within the region.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what amendments have been made to, and what recent representations he has received on, the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Section 2(4)(c) of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 is amended by paragraph 21 of schedule 7 to the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007. This amendment replaces the reference to the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council with a reference to the National Consumer Council.
	Section 2(9) of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 is repealed by schedule 8 to the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007. Section 2(9) is concerned with the period before the commencement of section 3(1) of the Utilities Act 2000. As section 3(1) of the Utilities came into force on 20 December 2000, section 2(9) is repealed as it is no longer necessary.
	These amendments are due to come into force later this year.
	We have received a letter from Friends of the Earth which broadly relates to the duties placed upon the Secretary of State in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Friends of the Earth have indicated that it will decide whether it will apply for judicial review upon receipt of the Government's response.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents he (i) has issued and (ii) plans to issue in the next 12 months consequent on the provisions of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what action is required in respect of each; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has issued no statutory instruments under the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and has no plans to issue any over the next 12 months.
	The Government have issued annual progress reports on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy since 2002. The next report will be published within the next 12 months.
	The Department issues a fuel poverty newsletter usually at six monthly intervals. The newsletter is available on the Department's website and covers the action taken by a range of stakeholders on fuel poverty.